Search Individual Investors Site

Emerging Markets Equity Index

Find A Fund

Snapshot

Performance

Portfolio

Management

Fund Documents

Snapshot

Emerging markets exposure may be suitable for those investors who have an above-average tolerance to market volatility and seek a global component to their diversified investment portfolio. Our Emerging Markets Equity Index Fund intends to invest a substantial portion of its total assets in foreign countries that are considered emerging markets. These markets involve additional risks including currency fluctuation, less market liquidity, more market volatility and political instability. The fund may invest more than 25% of it's assets in securities of issuers located in a single foreign country.

Fund Objective

Seeks to Replicate Index

Fund Strategy

Select stocks on the basis of quantitative analysis with the aim of producing a portfolio that will approximate the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.

Maintain industry diversification, country weightings, market capitalization and other financial characteristics similar to the Index.

Buy and sell securities in response to changes in the Index.

Investor Profile

If you are a long-term investor seeking access to the total return potential of emerging markets equities, this Fund may be right for you. Emerging markets exposure may be appropriate for investors with an above-average tolerance for market volatility who seek a global component for a broadly diversified investment portfolio.

Performance quoted represents past performance and does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than that shown here.

The Advisor has agreed to reimburse certain expenses of the Fund (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses; a portion of the compensation paid to each Trustee who is not an officer, director or employee of Northern Trust Corporation or its subsidiaries; expenses related to third-party consultants engaged by the Board of Trustees of the Trust; membership dues paid to the Investment Company Institute and Mutual Fund Directors Forum; extraordinary expenses; and interest, if any) to the extent the "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" exceed 0.30%. The contractual limitation may not be terminated before July 31, 2015 without the approval of the Board of Trustees. In the absence of fee waivers, yield, total return, growth since inception and dividends would have been reduced. Total return is based on net change in NAV assuming reinvestment of distributions.

Annual Expense Ratios

Gross Expense Ratio

Net Expense Ratio‡

Emerging Markets Equity Index

0.34%

0.30%

‡Includes contractual expense reimbursements that, if not extended, will end on July 31, 2015.

Equity Risk: Equity securities (stocks) are more volatile and carry more risk than other forms of investments, including investments in high-grade fixed-income securities. The net asset value per share of this Fund will fluctuate as the value of the securities in the portfolio changes.

Emerging Markets Risk: Emerging market investing is subject to additional economic, political, liquidity and currency risks not associated with more developed countries.

Index Fund Risk: The performance of the Fund is expected to be lower than that of the Index because of Fund fees and expenses. It is important to remember that there are risks associated with index investing, including the potential risk of market decline, as well as the risks associated with investing in specific companies.

MSCI Emerging Markets IndexSM is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

Prior to joining Northern Trust in 2003, Mr. Santiccioli was a portfolio manager with Deutsche Bank. Prior to his portfolio manager position at Deutsche, he served as the head of the accounting group for international index portfolios.

Mr. Santiccioli received a B.A. from Bucknell University and an MBA from Fordham University.

Please carefully read the prospectus and summary prospectus and consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of Northern Funds before investing. Call 800-595-9111 to obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus, which contains this and other information about the funds.